Halloween is an experiential holiday. Between Halloween events, costumes, multisensory elements and, of course, “sampling,” it creates a natural opportunity for brands to infuse a little fun and engagement into the annual traditions.

Entertainment platform Vevo last year hosted a Halloween extravaganza for employees that included a carnival freak show and plenty of engagement with key clients. Dos Equis transformed Halloween into a two-month-long event program with a masquerade theme and immersive, theatrical consumer environments.

This year, beyond influencer events, were a rash of clever consumer stunts and campaigns that took advantage of classic Halloween activities. A major theme: vending machines and candy dispensing, with a twist. There were also augmented reality programs and social media contests. Here’s a look at a few Halloween experiential programs that stuck out. Read on… if you dare.

Skittles’ Haunted Tiny House Sampler

Skittles created a mini mobile (and spooky) sampling tour that traversed Toronto and was housed in a haunted tiny house structure. When consumers ringed the doorbell, a slot opened and zombie hands dispensed Skittles samples. What we liked most: The structure housed a “small electric vehicle hidden inside for propulsion.” Two brand ambassadors reportedly manned the unit—one a driver, the other, the zombie hand. Nice.

Jägermeister’s AR-Fueled Tarot Cards

Throughout the month of October, Jägermeister created an augmented reality advertising campaign on Snapchat, where consumers could play “Divine the Darke”—an AR Snapchat lens feature with digital tarot cards to “reveal users’ cocktail fate.” Reportedly, the campaign earned 32 million impressions.

Dunkin’s Social Media Halloween Contest

Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts) invited consumers to dress up in Dunkin-themed costumes and share photos of them on Instagram with #DunkinDressUpContest for the chance to win $1,000 and a year’s supply of Dunkin’ coffee.

Royal Tru-Orange’s Vending Scream Machine

Coca-Cola-owned Royal Tru-Orange (or, Fanta, as it’s called in the U.S.) didn’t just want to give away samples of its soda—it wanted consumers to work for them. In a vending machine stunt, the brand tasked Filipinos with screaming their lungs out in order to snag a free beverage—plus a creepy surprise.

Featured photo courtesy: Reese’s

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